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Kossith
A race that primarily inhabits northern Thedas, the Kossith form the bulk of the Qunari - the people of the Qun. Regarded as foreign by all other the other races of Thedas, the Kossith are naturally skilled warriors who find themselves on the edges of a world they find chaotic and unordered. Physical Kossith are taller and considered to be more physically robust than humans. They have metallic-hued skin (bronze, gold and silver have been observed), white hair, slightly pointed ears, and vivid eyes with colors like violet, red, or yellow. Most of the Kossith warriors bear proud tattoos and marking across their faces and bodies, and are most comfortable in heavier, more sturdy plate armours. Blessed with incredible strength, Kossith are perfectly comfortable fighting with larger, over-sized weapons, using their burte strength to strike quicker with them than any human could. Kossith have been observed to have some marksman skill, being deadly accurate with the throwing spears they prefer to use in ranged combat. Most kossith have horns: some are born without them, but it is not considered a defect. On the contrary, those born without horns are considered special, as they are meant for a special role in Qunari society. History Recent arrivals to Thedas, the Qunari Kossith arrived in northern Thedas in their warships from unkonwon eastern lands three centuires ago. Their arrival brought war and ruin to Thedas, with the Kossith at one point controlling vast swathes of the Tevinter Imperium, Rivain and Antiva and beginning to assault the Free Marches. Forced to retreat when faced with massive rebellions in Tevinter and the calling of a new age of Exalted Marches which saw the Orleisan and Imperial Chantries united for the first time since the schism, the Kossith eventually signed the peace accords with most of Thedas, which granted them control of Par Vollen in the north and the settlement of Kont-Aar in northern Rivain. With Tevinter refusing to sign the peace accord, the Kossith find themselves still locked into war with the Imperium, now centered on the island of Seheron. In more recent history, a large force of Kossith Qunari under the command of the Arishok found themselves stranded in Kirkwall following a shipwreck during a storm they had sailed into while pursuing a thief who had stolen a valuable Qunari relic. Unable to leave without the relic, the Arishok was forced to remain in Kirkwall while he searched for the relic, faced with the hostilies and suspicions of the city. Following seven years of rising tensions, fuelled in large parts by a faction of the Chantry who wished to forcefully expel the Qunari, the Arishok finally had enough and launched a full scale invasion of the city. Capturing much of the city and slaying the then Viscount Dumar, the city was only liberated by the actions of Richard Hawke, who led the remaining city forces in storming the Keep. When the thief Isabela, a companion of Richard's, then returned the relic, Richard refused to hand her over to the Arishok and instead challenged him to single combat. The Arishok was slain, and the Kossith withdrew from the city to return to Par Vollen with their relic. In many ways, it was the actions of the Kossith and the Arishok that allowed Knight-Commander Meredith to step into power in Kirkwall, ultimately leading to the destruction of the Krikwall Chantry. Religion The Kossith form the majority of the Qunari - the followers of the Qun. Closer to a philosophy than an actual religion, the Qun defines nearly every aspect of Kossith life, defining the role of everyone and everything in society. This idea that everything and everyone has a specific place and purpose in the world is known as "Asit tal-eb", which translates as "It is to be". In this way, the Kossith believe in the value of the whole as opposed to the individual, and view each individual as merely an aspect of the whole. It is left up to each person to decide whether to accept their place in the world, or to fight against it. In choosing to deny their place, the Kossith believe that one fights against both themselves and the natural order, and as such the natural order is harmed - in turn harming the very individual who is fighting against the natural order. Kossith are taught that it is their moral duty to enforce the Qun and educate those who do not understand or comprehend it. They see the Qun as the source of all morals, and as such as scoieties that reject is are bastions of villany and debauchery. The Qun does not teach of deities and gods, and so Kossith find the notion of invisible greater beings a laughable concept. They place focus on the divine moral structure of the world as opposed to divine beings, though they do tolerate some deitism in new converts to the Qun. Those Kossith who abandon the Qun are called Tal-Vashoth, and live away from Qunari lands and often take work as mercenaries. They are scorned by other Kossith, and viewed as cowards and traitors. Society and Culture Qunari Kossith Every aspect of the Qunari Kossith's life is defined by the Qun. At age twelve, they are assigned to their proper tasks that is fixed in society for the rest of their lives - to be a solider (part of the body of the Qunari people, led by the Arishok), a craftsman (part of the mind of the Qunari people, led by the Arigena), or one of the priesthood and scholars (the soul of the Qunari people, led by the Ariquen). These three elements make up Kossith society, and the leaders of each branch work together to lead the people in a triumative of power. Kossith practice selective breeding. They have no families or feelings of love, and all children are taken and raised by the Tamassrans, who control the breeding program and give the children their names. In truth, these names and not names in the true sense, but rather strings of genealogical information used to keep track of recessive and dormant traits that individual carries. Upon being assigned their role, Kossith take their job titles as their names. The Kossith have strict gender roles, as laid out by the Qun. Women may not become a solider, and Kossith have some difficulty conceiving the idea of a woman fighting. Men are generally not assigned as merchants and craftmen, however, and the Arigena is always a woman. Mages are treated with suspicion and distrust among the Kossith, who are fully aware of the terrible powers they control and the risk of posession. Kossith mages are labelled Saarebas, literally a dangerous mage, and are chained and leashed. More than this, Kossith mages have their lips strthced together to prevent them speaking and corrupting the air around them, and have their faces hidden behind a heavy mask. They are watched over and controlled by a designated Arvaarad, who uses a device similar to a golem's control rod to enforce his will on his charges. The Kossith are one of the most technologically advanced races of Thedas, possessing an explosive gatlock poweder similar to gunpowder. It was this technology that allowed them to fight against the united nations of Thedas for so long. A guide to the Qunari language can be found here. Tal-Vashoth The Tal-Vashoth are those who abandon the Qun, and they do not consider themselves to be Qunari. They are seen as outcasts and think of themselves as the "true grey ones". The Tal-Voshoth are mostly former warroirs who are now mercenaries. It is not uncommon for Tal-Vashoth Kossith to remove their horns as a symbol of defiance agasint the Qun. While it is not entirely clear what motivates these Kossith to reject the Qun, it is speculated that is is often to do with being assigned a low or menail position in the Qunari society when they have ambitions above their station. Others seem simply to have tired of the life of duty that the Qun brings. Kossith at Fortress of Glass Here at Fortress of Glass, we welcome Kossith original characters, and also offer some select Kossith canons. Below is a list of features which apply to Kossith on the site. 1) Kossith may be warriors, rogues or mages. 2) Kossith characters may be Qunari Kossith or Tal-Vashoth (though we do ask that members consider the difficulties and implications of writing for Qunari Kossith, especially Qunari Saarebas) 3) Kossith mages may use close combat weapons without needing to be an Arcane Warrior, owing to their natural bulk and strength. Redirect *Main Page *Site Backstory *Playable Races *Registration Details Category:Races Category:Kossith